How to Grow Cranberry Vines

Cranberries are harvested by flooding the fields with water.

Cranberries are a native fruit of New England and grow in acidic marshes in their native habitat. The fruit belongs to the same group as azaleas and blueberries and grows on perennial vines with thin, wiry stems and evergreen foliage. The red berries are tart flavored and fleshy in texture. Cranberries are used in their dried, processed or fresh form. You can easily grow and harvest cranberries in the home garden. Generally, four feet of cranberry vines yield about a pound of fruit.

Things You'll Need

• Small pot
• Sand
• Peat
• Rooting hormone
• Small plastic cut
• Sharp scissors

Instructions

1. Prepare a small pot with equal amounts of sand and moist peat. Pour 1 to 2 inches of rooting hormone in a small cup.

2. Using sharp scissors, take 4-inch cuttings from previous year's growth while plants are in their dormant state and just prior to budbreak. Though you can also take cuttings during summer, taking cuttings earlier in the season gives the new plants a full season to grow and get established.

3. Remove any leaves from the lower half of the stem and leave any leaves on the upper portion intact. However, this is not necessary.

4. Dip lower end of the stem in the rooting hormone and then insert 2 inches deep in the prepared pot. Water the cuttings regularly to keep soil moist. The cuttings generally start to root in about three weeks.

5. Transplant once the plants are growing well in a bed with well-drained, acidic soil. The plants prefer a soil pH of less than 5. Do not grow in overly wet soil. It is best to get the soil test conducted prior to planting.

Tips & Warnings

• Using cuttings is the best way to start cranberry plants and has a high rate of success. Using seeds to grow cranberries is an extremely tedious process. The use of rooting hormone is not necessary as the cuttings root without this, too.

• Use caution when transplanting cranberries as the plants have very delicate roots. You do not need to add fertilizer to planting hole prior to planting. Keep new vines clear of weeds and grasses to reduce competition. This allows plants to get established at a faster rate.

References

• University of California Extension: Berry in the Bog
• "Blueberries, Cranberries and Other Vacciniums"; Jennifer Trehane; 2004